Mumbai, August 23
Indian bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur said that Team India would try their level best in the upcoming Asia Cup starting from September 9 onwards, and also spoke on batter Shreyas Iyer's omission from the team.
Thakur, who was recently part of the Indian Test side led by Shubman Gill, which drew 2-2 in a five-match series against England, was speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Sharad Pawar Museum at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Speaking to ANI, Shardul spoke about the Asia Cup and the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on September 14, "India-Pakistan is always a big match for cricketers and for the country. And the Asia Cup is such a big tournament that it has a lot of importance in the life of a cricketer. We see that before the World Cup, this tournament is played. And the performance in this is carried by the confidence of the team. So Team India will always try to do well in this. And all the players will have our full support."
One of the most glaring omissions from the squad was batter Shreyas Iyer, who led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final in 10 years with his fiery brand of cricket and captaincy.
Speaking on his fellow Mumbaikar's omission, Shardul said, "I cannot say that because it is the decision of the selectors and the board. So we cannot say anything about that. But I cannot say anything about that because it is not in my hands."
"There will be controversies, but as a player, you have to be strong. And Shreyas is also very strong. Whenever he plays in the upcoming matches, I am sure he will give a very good performance."
On the inauguration of the museum, Shardul termed it a "big day" for MCA and the whole city as this move would serve as a motivation to youngsters and a reminder of Mumbai's rich cricketing history.
"It was a big day for the Mumbai Cricket Association and for the whole city. The history of cricket will be conveyed to the people through this museum. And whoever comes here will get to see how Mumbai's cricket was," said Shardul.
"So many big players came from here and played at the international level. So why did they play? How was their cricket? How was the cricket in the city? You will get all this information. And along with that, current cricketers or our previous cricketers, everyone has jerseys here. When new kids will see those jerseys, they will get motivation from that," he added.
- ANI
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